Le Tour de Lance

[Zopperoni]

It is indeed unfortunate that people cannot accept the physical and mental strength of Armstrong.
Armstrong himself gave the best response: "if you make hard accusations, then you have to back those up with hard evidence"

[Spiffor]

I personally think everybody is doped up. I wouldn't believe these guys can be so fast, for so long, without being "enhanced".

It's the price to pay to see such impressive performance IMHO. And even if doped up, these guys are fantastic athletes nonetheless: a normal person, even if doped up with every product, could not even hope to complete the tour.

[pg]

it is eery watching those guys race especially since they look like skeletons(except for their legs). lance is impressive but he is somewhat boring to watch. i'd really liked to see an attack from him eary on even if it is stupid strategically. merckx sounds like he was a really fun rider to watch.

[alva]

Congrats to Armstrong, maybe not the greatest ever but a true, big champion nonetheless.

it is eery watching those guys race especially since they look like skeletons(except for their legs)

You should see these IRL, it's just scary, they make me looked like a body-builder and believe me when I say I'm not.

[CerberusIV]

Congratulations to Armstrong. I doubt if he takes banned substances, he has too much to lose now.

Perhaps the problem is that he is just genuinely this good. That then puts a lot of pressure on everyone else who can't beat him legitimately to use drugs. When they still can't beat him they all assume he must be using drugs somehow.

Every now and again most sports get someone who is simply better than everyone else. Tough on everyone else but that is sport, not everyone can win (unlike the stupidity of non-competitive sports days now pervading UK state schools).

[Imran Siddiqui]

Perhaps the problem is that he is just genuinely this good. That then puts a lot of pressure on everyone else who can't beat him legitimately to use drugs. When they still can't beat him they all assume he must be using drugs somehow.

Interesting view on things, and I do believe you are correct (and not just with cycling). People who are good are accused of doping because their doped competitors can't beat them and think that something is up.

[DanS]

I don't think Armstrong is doped up. He has been pretty clear about how he wins: he trains 365 days a year. No other rider has ever done that.

[alva]

Just wondering, were Americans folliwin the tour prior to number 6, perhaps even when Lemond won his 3 tours?
He won the greatest tour ever btw.

[MichaeltheGreat]

I've followed it since '75, but I'm weird.

[mrmitchell]

There is no reason to believe that Armstrong uses dope, other then for reasons of yealousy by europeans who don't want an american to win, or by french people who hate winners anyway as long as they're not french.

I wouldn't be so fast to bring out nationality. I think winning six times is enough.

[DanS]

Just wondering, were Americans folliwin the tour prior to number 6, perhaps even when Lemond won his 3 tours?
He won the greatest tour ever btw.

Before a couple of years ago, it was tough to follow it closely in the US. Each tour received something like 3 or 4 hours total of coverage on one of the major TV networks. Now, OLN, a cable TV network, broadcasts 4 or 5 hours a day of live coverage. Quite a change.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by mrmitchell

I wouldn't be so fast to bring out nationality. I think winning six times is enough.

Nationalism and nationality is an issue in the Tour, and has been for a long time. Merckx ran into worse (being assaulted by "fans") because some dumbass didn't want a non-Frenchman to tie or break Anquetil's five wins.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Each tour received something like 3 or 4 hours total of coverage on one of the major TV networks. Now, OLN, a cable TV network, broadcasts 4 or 5 hours a day of live coverage. Quite a change.

Well that doesn't mean more people follow it, just that we have a lot of speciality cable channels . So people can watch it where before they followed it in the newspapers.

[Flubber]

I loved OLN's coverage-- I would catch some of the live coverage in the morning, the fight myself not to follow the audio on their website while at work. Then in the evening I would watch the replay (any parts I didn't see in the morning).

Even knowing the results, I really enjoyed watching.

I have been seriously following the tour for about 10 years. I took up cycling and although I am only a recreational rider, I have become amazed by the abilities of ther elite.

oh and to anyone that called this tour boring . .. you are only looking at the surface-- There were great battles for the white and the green and a number of interesting stories.

[Robert]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat


Nationalism and nationality is an issue in the Tour, and has been for a long time. Merckx ran into worse (being assaulted by "fans") because some dumbass didn't want a non-Frenchman to tie or break Anquetil's five wins.

Nationalism is an issue with every sport that crosses borders.
And for sure for the french, who organise the greatest tournament but fail to see succesfull french riders for years.

I can imagine that they are dissapointed.

That's all a part of the sport.
You have winners and you have losers.
And the losers obviously not always love the winners.